A Moment in our History: A Dream Turns into Reality

After a letter from “A Working Woman” urging for the creation of YWCA in Honolulu appeared in the Advertiser on April 23, 1900, our founders did not waste any time. They set the date for a meeting and immediately put out the word.

The article below is one of the announcements that appeared in the local papers the day after the letter was published. It shows the names of some women who were “willing and anxious to be of service in the matter.”

The Honolulu Advertiser April 24, 1900.

The meeting was scheduled for 7:45 p.m. on Monday, April 30, 1900, at “Woodlawn” – at the corner of Beretania and Punahou Streets.

The women met at the cottage home of Mrs. B.F. Dillingham. It later became the site of Atherton Chapel on the grounds of Central Union Church. According to the meeting minutes, about sixty women gathered on April 30 with the purpose of organizing a YWCA in Honolulu.

The cottage of Mrs. B.F. Dillingham in 1900, where a group of women met to discuss the first YWCA in Hawaii.

The site where Mrs. B.F. Dillingham’s cottage once stood later became home to Central Union Church’s Atherton Chapel.

After much discussion covering topics including the need for a physical space for working women and newcomers as well as a gymnasium, a motion was made that “we organize a YWCA here (Honolulu).” It was approved by a majority in the room (47 women). Those who did not vote for the motion were not necessarily opposed to the idea of starting a YWCA – they “were in hearty sympathy but were too busy to feel they could take an active part.” 

 “No Men To Be In This: New Movement For Fair Sex Only”

This newspaper headline describes the sentiment of the meeting and the determination of our founding members. The article, published the day after the meeting, said, “The need of a pleasant place where ladies could take luncheon was also vigorously and almost unanimously expressed, and different speakers urged the desire for classes in Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese and domestic science.” Those present also expressed the needs for “swimming baths.”

The Honolulu Advertiser, May 1, 1900.

The formal business meeting to organize our YWCA took place on May 17 in the same year but it was that meeting on April 30 which started our long history. We remember and salute those 128 women who became our charter members and started the movement in our state.

Below are photos of our original board minutes from 1900 and the list of the charter members included in the minutes.

-Noriko Namiki, YWCA O‘ahu CEO